Car-door mechanism



Mayv5, 1931. B. w. KADEL i CAR DOOR MECHANISM Filed May 3, 1928 Patented May 5, 1931 @PATENT or-FICE BYERS 1V. KADEL, GF BALTIIvOR-E, MARYLAND CAR-noon MEerrANrsr/r Application filed May 3, 1928. Serial No. 274,844.

My invention relates to door-mechanism for railway cars and is especiallyfsuitable for application to cars having hoppers disposed on opposite sides ofthe car center sill, al-

though it may advantageously be employed on cars of other types.

The principal object of the invention is to provide simple and reliable door locking means which serve to support the hopper door on one side of the center sill independently of the hopper door on the opposite side of the center sill. I

A primary feature of the invention consists in providing each of the hopper doors with rigid means and in associating therewith means movably mounted on opposite sides of each hopper for engaging the said rigid means to maintain the door in closed position.

A further feature of the invention resides ,in providing a hopper car door with mechanism involving a plurality of members respectively secured to the door adjacent opposite edges thereof and a U-shaped member` pivotally connected to the car adjacent each of said door members for engagement with the latter to support the door in closed position.

A still further feature of the invention consists in providing a hopper door with members adjacent opposite edges thereof which project outwardly beyond adjacent portions of the hopper and terminate in upwardly projecting extensions, the outer edges of the extensions being fashioned with spaced ledges, and in combining therewith, means pivotally connected to the sides of the hopper having portions cooperable with the upwardly projecting extensions of the door members for maintaining the door in either a partly closed or a fully closed position.

Other and more specific features of the invention residing inadvantageous constructions and relations of parts will hereinafter appear and be pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a hopper and its coacting door showing the invention applied thereto.

v Figure '8 is a section-al view taken on line Y 33, Figure 1. Y

The railway carto which the'door locking mechanism embodying the invention is applied is of the well known type having hoppers disposed on opposite sides of the car center sills, the hinged axis of the hopper doors extending transversely of the car. This arrangement of hoppers is clearly shown by the portion of the car construction illustrated in Figure 2. As both of the hoppers are similar and as the invention is equally applicable to each, only one hopper'and its associated door mechanism will be described.

The hopper may be constructed in the usual 7o manner with inner and outer side sheets 1 and 2, respectively, and the slope or inclined bottom sheet 3, the outer ends or edges of the sheets defining the discharge opening of the hopper. A swinging door 4, which is hinged to the car body in any suitable manner (not shown) so asto swing to open position under the influence ofvgravity, serves `to close the discharge opening.

Rigidly secured to the door, as by rivets 5 adjacent each of its side edges, isa member or hook 6. These members may be advantageously of plate-like form, and each is preferably offset intermediate its ends, as at 7, to pass around the outwardly projecting side marginal flanges S of the door. The outer ends of the members 6, which are spaced laterally outward from the adjacent portions of the hopper side sheets, terminate in substantially vertical portions 9 having upwardly projecting extensions 10. The outer edges of the extensions 10 are fashioned with upper and lower spaced ledges 11 and 12, respectively, connected by an intermediate inclined or beveled portion 13.

Pivotally mounted on the side sheets of the hopper adjacent the door members 6 is a substantially U-shaped door supporting member or latch 14;. This pivoted member may advantageously be formed from'a flat bar or strip of metal, the major portion thereof being normally disposed in a substantially horizontal plane. Adjacent its opposite ends, the bar is twisted to form substantially vertical portions 15. Interposed between the side sheets of the hopper and the respective end portions 15 of the member 14 are castings 16 serving to space the latter outwardly from adjacent portions of the hopper. Pivot rivets 17 are employed for connecting the ends of the member 14 to their associated castings, the latter being rigidly connected to the side sheets by rivets 18. The castings 16 secured to the outer side sheet 2 may advantageously be provided with a pivoted cam 19 adapted to engage with an adjacentportion ofthe member 14 to lock the latter in door supporting position thereby preventing accidental opening of the door.

The legs or side portions 2O of the U-shaped member are `formed with apertures 21 for respectively receiving the upwardly projecting extensions 10 of the door members to maintain the door in a plurality of positions of closure. The transversely extending portion 22 of the member 14 aiiords means enablingsimultaneous operation of the leg portions 20 thereof, so as to secure the door at its opposite edges. When the door is permitted to swing open upon movement of the member 14 to an inoperative position, the portion 22 serves to limit opening movement of the door by contacting with its outer face.

The upwardly projecting extensions V10 of the member 6 are arranged to cooperate with the legs 2O of the latch member 14 in a manner such that when the door is permitted to swing open orV is being moved' to fully closed position, it will at all'timesmaintain the latch member in an elevated position, thus insuring proper functioning ofthe mechanism. Then it is desired to close the door the operator may grasp any convenient portion thereof moving it in the proper direction until the upwardly projecting extensions 10 are brought into registering alinement with the corresponding apertures 21 of the pivoted member; the latter-will then drop and, by cooperating with the upper ledge 11, sustain the door in a position of partial closure. A downwardly directed force is then applied to any desirable portion of the pivoted member 14, causing the portions of the aperturesQl adjacent the outer edge of the extensions 10 of the door `members to ride along the intermediate inclined portions 13 thereof, thus forcing the door into fully closed position in which position it will be maintained when the member 14 cooperatively engages the lower ledge 12.

As the inneredge of the door, when it is being moved from open t0 partially closed position, tends to lag behind the vouter edge thereof, the upper ledge 11 of the member 6 secured to the inner edge ofthe door is spaced inwardly from a vertical plane parallel with the hinged axis of the door and passing through the upper ledge of the member 6 adjacent the outer edge of the door. In this manner the upwardly projecting extensions 10 of each of the members 6 are adapted to substantially simultaneously cooperate with the apertures 21 of the member 14 to maintain the door in a partial position of closure.

From the foregoing it will be perceived that, in addition to permitting independent operation of the doors of the hoppers disposed on opposite sides of the center sill, the mechanism disclosed etliciently functions to support the opposite side edges of the door in a manner such that accidental loss of tine lading is prevented.

I claim:

1. In a railway car having hoppers disposed transversely of the car, a hinged door for each of said hoppers, the hinge axis of said doors extending transversely of the car and the doors being adapted to swing to open position under the influence of gravity, and door supporting mechanism for each hopper involving a plurality of members respectively secured to the hopper door adjacent the opposite sides thereof and a member pivotally mounted on the sides of the hopper and respectively engageable with said members on the door for maintaining said door in closed position, said member having a portion extending from one side of the hopper to the other and spaced from the closed door in the direction of opening-movement thereof.

2. In a railway car having hoppers disposed transversely of the car, a hinged door for each of said hoppers, the hingeiaxis of said doors extending transversely of the car and the doors being adapted to swing to open position under the iniiuence of gravity, and door supporting mechanism for each hopper involving members respectively secured to each door adjacent opposite edges thereof, a sub'- stantially U-shaped member secured adjacent its opposite ends to the respective sides of the hopper, said member having portions adapted to engage the members secured to the door for supporting the latter in closed position.

3. In a railway car having a lading discharg opening, a hinged door for closing said opening, the door being movable to open position under the influence of gravity, and door supportingmechanism involving brackets secured to the door and a substantially U- shaped member having its ends respectively pivotally secured to the car adjacent opposite edges of the door, the legs of said U-member being adapted to cooperate with the said brackets to maintain the door in closed position.

4. In a railway car having a lhopper provided with a lading discharge opening, a hinged door for closing said opening, the

door being movable to open position under the influence of gravity, and door supporting mechanism involving a plurality of members respectively secured to the dooradjacent opposite edges thereof and projecting outwardly therebeyond and a number pivotally connected to the hopper adjacent each of said door members for cooperating with the latter to maintain the door in a plurality of positions of closure, said member having a portion normally spaced from the closed door adapted to limitV opening movement of the door.

5. In a railway car having a hopper provided with a lading discharge opening, a hinged door for closing said opening, the door being removable to open position under the influence of gravity, and door supporting mechanism involving a plurality of members respectively secured to thedoor adjacent opposite edges thereof, each of said members having an upwardly projecting extension and a member having its ends pivotally connected to opposite sides of the hopper adjacent each of said door members and having portions cooperable with the upwardly projecting extensions of the latter to maintain the door in closed position.

6. Inla railway car having a hopper provided with a lading discharge opening, a hinged door for closing said opening, the door being movable to open position under the iniiuence of gravity and door supporting mechanism involving a plurality of members g respectively secured to the door adjacent opposite edges thereof, each of said members having an upwardly projecting extension disposed outwardly of the respectively adjacent sides of the hopper, and a substantially U- shaped member secured to opposite sides of the hopper, said last-named member having apertures for receiving the upwardly projecting extensions of the respective door members for maintaining the door in closed position.

7. In a railway car having a hopper provided with a lading discharge opening, a hinged door for closing said opening, the door being movable to open position under the influence of gravity, and door supporting mechanism involving a plurality of members respectively secured to the door adjacent opposite edges thereof and having portions projecting therebeyond, and means pivotally connected to the hopper adjacent each of said door members and cooperating therewith for maintaining the door in closed position, said outwardly projecting portions of the door members being adapted to sustain the pivoted means in an elevated position when the door is in open position.

8. In a railway car having a lading discharge opening, a hinged door for closing said opening, the door being movable to open position under the influence of gravity, and

door supporting mechanism involving means secured to the door and a member pivotally mounted on the car body for cooperating with the said means for maintaining the door in closed position, said pivoted member having a portion normally spaced from the outer face of the'closed door for limiting opening movement thereof.

9. In a railway car having a lading discharge opening, a hinged door for closing said opening, the door being movable to open position under the influence of gravity, and door supporting mechanism involving a plurality of members respectively secured to the door adjacent opposite edges thereof and having portions projecting outwardly therebeyond and a member pivotally secured to the car body adjacent each of said door members for cooperating therewith to maintain the door in closed position, said pivoted member having a portion normally Aoverlapping the outer face of the door to limit opening movement thereof and the outwardly projecting portions of said door members being adapted to respectively cooperate with said member to maintain the latter in an elevated position.

l0. In a railway car having a lading discharge opening, a hinged door for closing said opening, the door being movable to open position under the influence of gravity, and mechanism for supporting the door in closed position involving a member rigidly mounted on the door and a member pivotally mounted on the car body, the said door member being provided with an upwardly projecting platelike extension disposed outwardly of the adjacent edge of the door in a plane substantially normal to the hinge axis of the door, said pivoted member having portions adapted to respectively engage the outer edge of said plate-like extension and to overlap aside face thereof when Vthe door is supported in closed position.

.11. In a railway car having a lading discharge opening, a hinged door for closing said opening, the door being movable to open position under the influence of gravity, and door supporting mechanism involving a member rigidly secured to the door and having an upwardly projecting extension disposed out.- wardly of a side edge of the door and a mem- :ber pivotally secured to the car body having an aperture for receiving the extension of -the door member to maintain the door in closed position.

l2. In a railway car having a lading dischargeV opening, a hinged door for closing said opening, the door being movable to open positio-n under the influence of gravity, and door supporting mechanism involving a member rigidly secured to the door and having a substantially vertical plate-like ortion disposed outwardly of a side edge oiJ the latter in a plane substantially normal to the hinge axis of the door,.the outer edge of said platelike portion being provided with a plurality iii) of spaced ledges, and aV member pivotally secured to the car having a' portion cooperable with the ledges of the door member to:main tain the door in partially closed or in fully closed position.

13. ln a railway car having a lading discharge opening, a hinged door for closing said opening, the door being movable to open position under the influence of gravity, and door supporting mechanism involving a member regidly secured to the door and having an upwardly projecting extension disposed outwardly oi' a side edge of the door, the outer edge of said extension being provided with spaced ledges, and a member pivotally mounted on the car body having an aperture for receiving said extension and cooperating with the ledges thereof to support the door in a. partially closed or in a fully 5 closed position.

14. In a railway car having a leading discharge opening, a hinged door for closing said opening, the door being movable to open position under the influence of gravity, and door supporting mechanism involving a plurality of members respectively secured to the door adjacent opposite edges thereof, each of said members having an upwardly projecting extension disposed outwardly of the adjacent edge of the door, the outer edge of each extension being provided with a plurality of ledges, and a pivoted U-shaped member having its ends connected' to the car body adjacent said door member, said pivoted i member being fashioned with :apertures for respectively receiving the upwardly projecting extensions of the door members to support the door in a partially closed or in a fully closed position.

,15. In a railway car having hoppers disposed transversely of the car, a hinged door for each of said hoppers, the hinge axis of said doors extending transversely of the car and the doors being adapted to swing to open position under the influence of gravity, and door supporting mechanism for each hopper involving a plurality of members respectively secured to each door adjacent opposite edges thereof, each of said members having an upwardly projecting extension provided on its outer edge with spaced ledges, and a U- shaped member pivotally connected 'to opposite sides ot each hopper having an aperture for receiving the upwardly projecting extensions of the associated door members to support the door in partially closed or in fully closed position.

16. In a railway car having hoppers disposed transversely of the car, a hinged door for each of said hoppers, the hinge axis of said doors extending transversely of the car and the doors being adapted to swing to open position under the influence of gravity, and door supporting mechanism foreach hopper involving a plurality of members respectively'secured to its associated ldoor, adjacent opposite edgesthereof, each or' said members having upwardly projecting extensionsdisposed outwardly of `the. adjacent side of the hopper, the extensions being fashioned with upper and-lower ledges connected by an intermediate inclined portion, and a U-shaped member pivotally .connected to the sides of each hopper having apertures for respectively receiving the said extensions of the door members to cooperatewith the upper and lower ledges thereof to maintain the door in partially closed or in fully closed position respectively, the inclined portions of the door members being adapted to cooperate with the apertured portions of the pivoted member so that movement ot the latch from .the said upper ledgesto the saidlower ledges will force the door to fully closed position.

In testimony whereof I afllx` my si nature.

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